Passion Fruit and Coconut Crème Brûlée

This tropical passion fruit and coconut twist on a classic crème brûlée is an easy but impressive dessert idea perfect for entertaining. The tang of the passion fruit pairs beautifully with the silky creaminess of coconut and who can resist that crunchy caramel top?

Fresh passion fruit are obviously best here but if you can't get hold of them you will find passion fruit purée in the baking aisle of most supermarkets these days - just reduce the sugar by one tablespoon in the brûlée mix. If your coconut cream is rock solid (as they so often are), heat the jar in a bowl of hot water to loosen.

Passion Fruit and Coconut Crème Brûlée

Makes 6

4 passion fruit 

300ml double cream 

150ml coconut cream

100ml milk 

5 egg yolks

4 tbsp golden caster sugar, plus extra for the top

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Sit six 175ml ramekins in a deep roasting tin.  Scoop the passion fruit out into a sieve and push the pulp through. 

Put the cream, coconut cream and milk in a pan over a low heat. Put the egg yolks and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until it’s paler in colour and a bit bubbly, then stir in the passion fruit juice. Bring the cream mix almost to the boil and, as soon as you see bubbles, take the pan off the heat and pour the hot cream into the beaten egg yolks, stirring with a whisk. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug and spoon off some of the froth. 

Pour hot water into the roasting tin until it comes about 2cm up the sides of the ramekins. Divide the hot cream between the ramekins so they’re filled almost to the top, move the tin into the oven and top the ramekins up. Cover loosely with a sheet of foil and cook for 30-35 minutes until they’re just set. They should wobble a bit in the middle. 

Immediately, lift the ramekins out of the roasting tin and cool for a couple of minutes on a wire rack before chilling them in the fridge. 

When ready to serve, sprinkle a layer of caster sugar over each ramekin and spread it out evenly.  Use a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar, or put the ramekins under a very hot grill.